


Don't Jinx It

by EDM4276



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 07:43:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18912571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EDM4276/pseuds/EDM4276
Summary: Ellie sees Jake again, the first time since their divorce, and a lot has changed.





	Don't Jinx It

It was a slow day at the office. No one had actually said so, because, well, jinxes. But Gibbs was in MTAC, so Nick had his music on - quietly - and they were all catching up on case notes. Nick was getting ready to ask the others if they wanted him to go on a lunch run when the familiar ding from the elevator sounded across the bullpen. It was the middle of the day, so neither of them really thought anything of it, until Tim looked up, and saw Gibbs descend from the stairs up to MTAC at exactly the same time as the doors open. He then swung his head around to the elevator doors, and saw immediately why Gibbs and Vance were both currently descending the stairs. Tim looked over at Ellie, whose head was still bent over her case report, earbuds in, not noticing anything amiss. Nick looked at Tim, shrugged, and Tim, in answer, jerked his head at the group of lawyers from the NSA who had just gotten off the elevator on their floor. 

Tim got up from his desk. Ellie was completely in her own world, “Ellie,” he said quietly, seeing one of the lawyers - the tall one with dark hair and glances, awkwardly look over in their direction. Ellie finally looked up, gave him her, “you’re interrupting and I’m annoyed,” look. She took her earbuds out. 

“The NSA is here,” he said in explanation, and Ellie finally turned to look at the elevators, where the group of lawyers and an analyst from the NSA had been intercepted by Gibbs and Vance. She saw Jake, hanging at the edges of the group, sending glances in her direction. She knew he wasn’t concentrating at all on whatever Vance was saying, and was late in catching up to the others as they headed in the direction of Vance’s office. Ellie had a moment of deja vu, from the last time Jake had walked up those stairs, after they’d gotten into a fight over his refusal to give up information crucial to solving their current case. Ellie looked at McGee, and knew he was remembering the same thing. 

“Well,” Ellie said somewhat lamely, not really knowing how else to respond. 

“Yeah. Well. Wonder what’s going on there,” McGee responded. Nick saw the glint in his eye as he followed the lawyer’s progress up the stairs. Nick saw the last lawyer turn back to look at them, and then saw Gibbs barely acknowledge the unknown lawyer. Nick started to put two and two together as he saw the frosty look on Ellie’s face. 

“Nick?” McGee said, interrupting his train of thoughts, “Why don’t you and Ellie go get some lunch for us? I’ll cover.” 

“Okaaaay,” Nick let out a breath, turned to Ellie, “Ellie? What are you in the mood for?” Ellie blindly grabbed her messenger bag, sent McGee a look of thanks, and followed him to the elevator. 

“What do you want for lunch, El?” He asked once they were in his jeep. He’d figured out who the guy was by now. Ellie had told him a little, more once they had started dating and soon after gotten married, but she was still closed off about that part of her life. They both were though, about their pasts. He told her about Sofia, little by little, but neither enjoyed sharing about past relationships, just as the other didn’t enjoy listening to the pain caused by them. 

“Burritos,” she decided. 

Nick sighed. This only meant one thing, “Okay, fine. Chipotle it is.” 

Ellie’s face brightened as she looked at him, “Really? Usually you complain loudly.” 

“Yeah, well. Extenuating circumstances.” 

“So you probably guessed who that was,” Ellie decided to get it over with. 

“Yeah. Malloy?” 

“Indeed. I’m actually a little surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. I haven’t seen him since we signed the divorce papers.” 

“He still seems pretty stuck on you though,” Nick commented. 

“Yeah, well,” she reached over, placed her hand own his knee, rubbed circles there, “That’s on him. He had his chance. He lost it.” She said it without malice, as if she was reporting the weather. 

“He’d better hope he’s not there when we get back,” Nick said, just as mildly. 

“Nick…don’t do anything stupid. It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it. So much to live for, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” he said, thinking of the ultrasound picture hidden in his wallet. Their baby was the size of a jellybean, and that’s what Nick had taken to calling him or her - jellybean. He had come up to a light, and reached over, rubbed a hand over Ellie’s stomach. It still amazed him that there was really a part of both of them growing in there. They hadn’t told anyone yet, had decided to wait until the next ultrasound. Ellie took his hand, held it in hers for a second. Then the light turned green, and the moment was over as Nick pulled into Chipotle’s parking lot. 

Meanwhile, up in Vance’s offices the group of NSA lawyers were laying out their case. Jake said his piece, feeling Gibbs’s glare bore into his head the entire time. He finished up, laying out the reasons why the sailors had been held for treason. Both Gibbs and Vance’s glares were stony by the end of it, but both men nodded, understanding finally dawning. They all shook hands again, and Jake made sure to be in step with Gibbs as the group left. 

“How’s Ellie?” He asked.  
“Agent Torres,” Gibbs said, using Ellie’s new last name, even though they had all agreed that she would remain Bishop at work, just to keep things simple, “Is doing just fine without you.” 

“Oh,” Jake said dumbly, “She’s married?” 

“She is,” Gibbs responded smartly. Despite his initial misgivings about the marriage, and allowances made for rule 12, Nick and Ellie were better together than they had been apart, and even Gibbs had admitted how wrong he’d been. He’d admitted it to the recently reunited Tony and Ziva, too, and that had been the hardest conversation he’d ever had with anyone. 

“Well. Tell her…tell her I said hi, and I’m glad she’s doing well,” Jake told him awkwardly, as they got to the bottom of the steps and saw that only McGee was sitting at his desk. Jake nodded at McGee before following the rest of the lawyers to the elevator. 

Gibbs threw McGee a questioning look, and his senior field agent jerked a thumb at the window, indicating the other two had gone out for lunch. Nodding, Gibbs sat back down at his desk. 

Ellie and Nick had returned from Chipotle with a bagged lunch for Gibbs and McGee. McGee had texted them, telling the two to eat there, hoping it would mean avoiding the lawyers all together. Nick pulled his car up to its spot just as a group emerged from the elevator in the car deck. He glanced over at Ellie in silent question. He saw the glint in her eye, and smirked. He grabbed the two bags in one hand, and walked around to open her door, taking her hand in his free one. 

They intercepted the group, and everyone paused. Ellie nodded at the other lawyers, whom she vaguely remembered from various functions she’d attended with Jake. 

“Jake,” she said, her voice even. 

“Hi, Ellie. It’s good to see you.” 

Ellie nodded, knowing she couldn’t agree. It wasn’t good to see him, after all, “Hi, Jake, Nick, this is Jake, my ex. He’s a lawyer for the NSA. Jake, Nick, my husband.” 

Nick nodded at Jake, keeping his hand firmly in Ellie’s, not about to shake the hand of the man who’d broken Ellie’s heart. 

“Malloy, we need to get back,” one of his colleagues said. Ellie shot him a grateful look, as Jake nodded. 

“Right, well. See you around.” The two agents nodded, and continued their walk to the elevator. 

 

“Lunch for all,” Nick said, placing bags on his teammates desks once they got back.

“Thanks, McGee,” Ellie said. 

“No problem. Thanks for lunch. Were you able to miss them?” 

“Nah. We ran into each other in the car deck,” Ellie said, but she was smiling wickedly. 

“How’d that go?” 

“Oh, it was fine. He didn’t seem surprised we’re married though,” Ellie glanced over at Gibbs. 

Gibbs shrugged, “He asked how you were. I told him Agent Torres was doing very well without him.” All three agents burst out laughing. 

“Go, Gibbs,” Ellie said, still giggling as she sat back down. 

“He deserved it,” Gibbs grinned too, he couldn’t help it, “I’ve been wanting to do that for years.”

**Author's Note:**

> HelloKaelyn - that story I said I had written weeks ago...here it is ;).


End file.
